Reply #9: Nakamura - Hess, Round 5

[Jack Rabbit]

Robert Hess, a New York high school student and athlete, earned his third and final needed grandmaster norm in Mashantucket. His Elo rating is already over the required 2500 and he will be named a grandmaster later this year.

Congratulations, young man.



Robert Hess
Photo: New York Daily News


Hikaru Nakamura - Robert Hess
Foxwoods Open, Round 5
Mashantucket, 10 April 2009

Symmetrical English Game: Mikenas-Carls Opening (Nei Gambit)

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 c5

• This is the starting point of the Mikenas-Carls Opening.

4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxe5

• White has sacrificed a pawn for quick development and initiative in the variation known as the Nei Gambit.

8.Ndb5 f6 9.Bf4

• If 9.Be3 a6 10.Nd6+ Bxd6 11.Qxd6 Ne7 12.Bb6 Nf5 then:
• 13.Qc5 d6 14.Qa5 Qd7 15.f4 Nc6 16.Qa3 Nce7 17.0-0-0 Qc6 18.c5 Kf7 19.Be2 Bd7 20.Bf3 d5 gives Black an extra pawn and White more space (Michalik-Petrik, Slovakian Ch, Banska Stiavnica, 2006).
• If 13.Bxd8 Nxd6 14.Bc7 Ke7 15.c5 Ne8 16.Bb6 d5 17.cxd6+ Nxd6 then:
• 18.0-0-0 Nef7 19.Bc5 b5 gives Black an extra pawn and White more space (Bareev-L'Ami, TMatch, Amsterdam, 2008).
• 18.Bc5 Nef7 19.Rd1 Rd8 20.h4 Bd7 21.Rh3 Bc6 22.Rhd3 e5 23.g4 Ke6 24.f4 exf4 gives Black two extra pawns (García-Sunye, ITZ, Rio de Janeiro, 1979).

9...a6 10.Nd6+

• 10.Bxe5 axb5 11.Bg3 bxc4 12.Bxc4 Bb4 13.0-0 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Ne7 15.Qh5+ g6 16.Qf3 d5 is equal (Harding-Allies, Corres, 1978).

10...Bxd6 11.Qxd6 Nf7 12.Qa3 Ne7 13.Nb5!?

• 13.Be2 0-0 14.Rd1 d5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 16.Bf3 Qe8 17.Nxd5 exd5+ gives Black an extra pawn and White more space (Suttles-Timman, Ol. Solonika, 1985).

13...e5

• Black has a slight initiative.
• The text is better than 13...d6!? 14.Nxd6+ Nxd6 15.Bxd6 Nf5 16.Rd1 giving White the advantage in space.

14.Bd2 d6

• If 14...d5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 then:
• 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.Bxc3 Qd5 18.Qb4 Bf5 gives Black the advantage in space.
• If 16.Rd1 Bd7 17.Ba5 then:
• 17...b6 18.Nd6+ Nxd6 19.Qxd6 gives White the advantage in space and Black an extra pawn.
• 17...Qc8 18.Nd6+ Nxd6 19.Qxd6 Ne7 gives White the advantage in space and Black an extra pawn.

15.Bb4 Nf5 16.0-0-0

• 16.Rd1 0-0 17.Nxd6 N7xd6 18.Bxd6 Rf7 19.c5 Be6 is equal.

16...Be6

• If 16...0-0 17.Nxd6 N5xd6 18.Bxd6 Nxd6 19.Qxd6 then:
• 19...Bf5 20.Qxd8 Rfxd8 21.Be2 is equal.
• 19...Qe8 20.Qd5+ Kh8 21.Bd3 Qa4 22.a3 is equal.

17.Nxd6+

• If 17.Nc3 Qc8 then:
• If 18.c5 a5 19.Qa4+ Bd7 20.Bb5 Bxb5 21.Qxb5+ Qc6 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 b5 20.Kd1 0-0 21.b3 Nd4 gives Black an extra pawn.

17...N7xd6 18.Bxd6 Nxd6 19.Rxd6 Qe7

• If 19...Qc8 20.Rd2 b5! then:
• 21.c5 0-0 22.Be2 Ra7 23.Rhd1 Rd7 24.Rd6 is equal.
• If 21.Rc2 Kf7 22.Qf3 Qd7 then:
• 23.b3 Rac8 24.Be2 bxc4 25.Rd1 Qb5 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 23.c5 Bd5 24.Qe3 Qc6 25.f3 Rac8 26.b3 Rhd8 gives White more freedom.

20.Be2

• 20.Rb6 Qf7 21.Qb4 0-0-0 22.Be2 Rhe8 is equal.

20...Rc8

• 20...0-0 21.Rhd1 Rac8 22.b3 f5 23.Qb2 Bf7 24.Kb1 gives White the advantage in space.

21.b3

• The game is equal.

21...Kf7 22.Kb2 Rhd8 23.Rhd1 Rxd6

• 23...f5 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Qxe7+ Kxe7 26.Rxd8 Kxd8 is equal and looks very drawish.

24.Rxd6 Rd8 25.c5 a5 26.Bh5+?

• A move like this makes sense when the pawn weakness created by the response can be exploited. That's not the case here.
• Better is 26.Bc4 Bxc4 27.bxc4 Rc8 28.Qxa5 Rc7 29.Kc1 even though it yields White an extra pawn.

BLACK: Robert Hess
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WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 26.Be2h5+

26...g6!

• White's Bishop sortie is repulsed in the most simple manner.

27.Bf3 Qc7 28.Rxd8 Qxd8 29.Kc1

• This move is almost forced.
• 29.Bxb7 Qd2+ 30.Ka1 Bf5 31.Bd5+ Kg7 threatens mate starting with 32...Qc3+.

29...Bf5 30.b4

• 30.Be2 h6 31.Qa4 Kg7 32.Qc4 Qd7 33.h4 h5 gives Black a small edge in space.

30...Qd4 31.bxa5 Qxf2 32.Qb3+ Kg7

• 32...Kf8 33.Qc3 Qxa2 34.g4 Qb1+ 35.Kd2 Be4 gives Black an extra pawn.

33.Qxb7+ Kh6 34.Qb2

• White's pawns are too weak to protect.

BLACK: Robert Hess
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WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 34.Qd4b2

34...Qxc5+!

• White gains time, gains a pawn and puts the enemy King out to dry.

35.Kd1 e4 36.Be2

• If 36.Qd2+ Kg7 37.Be2 e3 then:
• 38.Qc1 Qd4+ 39.Ke1 Qh4+ 40.Kd1 Qa4+ the Black Queen laps up pawns.
• 38.Qb2 Qd5+ 39.Kc1 Qc6+ 40.Kd1 Qxg2 Black wins.

36...e3 37.Ke1

• If 37.Bf3 then after 37...Bd3 38.Be2 Be4 39.Bf3 Bxf3+ 40.gxf3 f5 Black threatens to win material, but would rather not do it at the expense of the e-pawn.

37...Qxa5+ 38.Kf1 Qc7

• If 38...Qa4 39.Qc3 Qf4+ then:
• 40.Bf3 Bh3 41.Ke2 Bxg2 42.Bxg2 Qf2+ 43.Kd3 Qxg2 44.Qxf6 Qxh2 gives Black another extra pawn.
• If 40.Ke1 then 40...Qf2+ 41.Kd1 Qg1+ 42.Qe1 Bc2+ wins the Queen.

39.Qd4 Qc1+ 40.Qd1

• 40.Bd1 Be6 41.Ke1 Bxa2 leaves Black up by two pawns.

40...Qb2 41.a4 Qb4 42.Kg1

• This shortens the agony.
• 42.Bb5 Qf4+ 43.Qf3 Qd4 44.Qe2 Bg4 45.Qe1 Bh5 Black continues to press his advantage, but the a-pawn gives White some potential counterplay.

42...Bd7 43.Qa1

• White threatens the f-pawn.

BLACK: Robert Hess
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WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 43.Qd1a1

43...Qf4!

• White threwatens mate in three.

44.Qf1 Qxf1+ 45.Kxf1 Bxa4 46.Bd3 Bd1 47.Be2

• No better is 47.Ke1 Bh5 48.h4 f5 49.g3 Bf3.

47...Bc2 48.Bb5 f5 49.g3 g5 0-1

• If 50.Ke2 then:
• If 50...f4 51.Bc6 Kg6 then:
• 52.Bd7 Bf5 53.Be8+ Kh6 54.Bc6 Bg4+ 55.Kd3 Kg6 56.Bb5 Bf3 White has no pawn moves
• If 52.h4 then after 52...fxg3 53.hxg5 Kxg5 54.Kxe3 h5 55.Kf3 h4 56.Bd5 Bf5 Black nudges the White King away with 57...Bg4+.
• 50...g4!? makes winning more difficult after 51.Kxe3 Kg5 52.Bf1 Be4 53.Bc4, although White should still prevail.
• Mr. Nakamura resigns.